China is investing billions of pounds into modernising its civilian infrastructure, as it seeks to grow its economy.

As part of that programme, Beijing has been busy building bridges and roads in an attempt to improve transport connections.

By 2022, the country already boasted more than one million bridges, which represented an increase of 72,000 from the previous year.

When it comes to infrastructure and investment, China likes to think “big”, often breaking previous construction records in the process.

The latest mega project under construction is the Shizi Yang Bridge, which will connect the east and west banks of the Pearl River Estuary in China’s Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The Shizi Yang Bridge will cross the Pearl River and is set to be nearly 22 miles long when completed. Moreover, this infrastructure will be record-breaking, with its 1,354-mile main span set to be the world’s largest. 

The bridge, designed by CCCC Highway Consultants, is expected to cost a staggering £5.3billion. UK-based company Knight Architects, along with Danish engineering consultant Cowi, provided in 2021 an alternative concept design for the bridge being built, which was eventually not taken forward. 

A spokesperson for Knight Architects said: “The Shizi Yang Crossing Main Bridge that is under construction in the ZhuJiang Delta, China, is not designed by Knight Architects. Knight Architects was one of two teams invited by CCCC Highway Consultants in 2021 to participate in a short study to develop an alternative concept design for the Shizi Yang Crossing Main Bridge.

“Working closely with consulting engineers Cowi, we were tasked with considering site constraints and opportunities, conducting options analysis for different bridge elements, and developing an alternative concept design from scratch. This supplementary ‘sense check’ procedure was meant to provide sufficient confidence for the clients to progress such a unique and large-scale infrastructure scheme. After this exercise, CCCC Highway Consultants continued progressing with their original reference design.”

When complete, the Shizi Yang Bridge will become an important passage connecting the east and west banks of the Pearl River Estuary, promoting the high-quality development of the GBA as part of the “golden inner bay.”

Chinese authorities expect to open the bridge to traffic in 2028, just four years from now.

It will complement the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, which was opened this July and connects the two cities in its name located on the opposite banks of the Pearl River estuary.

A previous version of this article included images showing renders of the Shizi Yang Bridge as designed by Knight Architects. We now understand that the renders showed an alternative design for the bridge, however a different design by CCCC Highway Consultants is actually under construction. The article has been amended accordingly and we are happy to set the record straight.